Borescope



BORESCOPE Filed March 8, 1956 INVENTOR.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for inspecting the bores of the barrels of firearms and is directed more particularly to mechanism for manipulating a borescope within said bore.

The principal object of the invention is directed to the provision of mechanism for use in connection with a borescope in the bore of a barrel which is constructed and arranged to facilitate longitudinal and rotative movements of the borescope in the bore of a barrel for inspection of the bore and rifling therein.

The mechanism of the invention in a broad way includes a guide tube having one end for positioning at one end of a barrel and a flexible shaft element guided therein which at one end is connected to a borescope in the bore of the barrel. The free end of the shaft is manually engageable.

As an illustration, one end of the guide tube may be positioned at the muzzle end of the barrel while the opposite end may be directed toward the opposite end of said barrel. The flexible shaft extends through the guide tube with its inner end secured to the borescope. The outer end of the shaft extends outwardly from the guide tube for manual engagement. By moving the shaft in and out, the borescope is moved along the bore. By turning the shaft, the scope is turned in the bore. In this way, the scope may be positioned anywhere in the bore as may be desired.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of mechanism for moving a borescope in the bore of a barrel; and

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the clamp of the mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the novel features of the invention will be described.

A guide 2 is provided which consists of a rigid inner tubular portion or section 4 and a flexible outer tubular portion or section 6.

The portion 4 of the guide is bent around as at 8 and the end of the flexible portion is secured thereto by a fitting 10. Said fitting 10 may be of any desired form to secure the tube portions together.

The tube portion 6 will preferably be formed so as to be readily flexible and may be accomplished by closely wound wire, which is similar to a close wound spring.

A central shaft 12 extends through the guide 2 and is flexible. Said shaft will be such as is used for driving a speedometer or the like and will be capable of imparting longitudinal and rotary motion. A member 14 is fixed to the end of the shaft 12 and is adapted for manual engagement whereby said shaft may be moved longitudinally or turned.

The mechanism may be used in various ways, but for United States Patent purposes of disclosure it the muzzle end thereof.

The outer end of the flexible portion 6 of the guide 2 is secured in a suitable manner in a rigid arm 16 extending from a clamp C.

The clamp C has a seat 18 for a barrel such as B and a clamp screw 20 for engaging the barrel and holding it against the seat 18.

Discs t are fixed to the inner portion 4 of the guide for slipping into the tube T to locate the end of the rigid tube properly relative to the barrel. Where the tube is used in connection with a barrel, they are fixed against relative movements.

The bore of the barrel B is represented by b and a borescope S in said bore may be of the form shown and described in application Ser. No. 494,767 filed March 16,-

A bale 22 is connected to the end of a scope S. A member 24 in said bale is connected to the inner end 26 of the shaft 12. Thus the scope is operatively connected to the inner end of the shaft and the outer end of said shaft extends from the guide portion 6.

By grasping the member 14 of the shaft 12, said shaft may be reciprocated relative to the guide 2.or turned so that the scope may be positioned for inspection of the barrel bore as may be desired.

As will be observed, the inner rigid portion of the guide has a straight run and a curving portion extending therefrom so that more or less of a U is formed. The flexible portion of the. guide may be more or less parallel to the straight portion of the rigid portion or it may be extended around and dodge objects.

The inner rigid section of the guide may be disposed relative to either end of a firearm barrel. The clamp may be affixed to any point along a barrel and the inner end of the shaft may be secured to the borescope by any suitable means.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description and all modifications and variations.

as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

arm rigidly connected to said clamp and extending radiallyoutwardly therefrom, tubular guide means having an elongated forward rigid end portion and an elongated rear end portion, the rigid portion of said guide means extending axially of said tube and having discs in spaced relation and fixed thereto which are. disposed in said tube for positioning the rear extremity of the rigid end 2,778,242 Patented Jan. 22,1951

Will be described in connection" with a barrel B having a tube T extending forwardly of Y I portion of said guide means being flexible and having a forward end secured to the extremity of; the rigid portion of said guide means and"?! rear end in said arm, an

elongated flexibleshaft reciproeable and. rotatable in said- 10 guidemeanshaving a manuall y'engageable member fixed thereto adfacent' the rear end of the rear portion" of said guide-means and a forwardv enduportionr extending. -fr0m the rear extremity of the rigid portion of said guide means arranged for connection to a borescope in the bore of a 5 barrel having an'end in the rear end of said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,559,306 Berkman Oct. 27, 1925 1,718,258 Schmidt June 25, 1929 J 2,304,045 Anderson et al Dec. 1, 1942 

